David

Duval

Duval, 51, and Daly, 56, received sponsor’s invitations to compete this week in New Orleans. Neither man won this event during his PGA Tour days, back when it was an individual tournament, and both are currently on the senior circuit. Daly has made three PGA Tour Champions starts this year and has as many rounds under par as in the 80s (one each). Duval has made four starts and sports a 72.67 scoring average. Daly’s last made cut in a PGA Tour event was the modified-Stableford-scoring Barracuda Championship in 2019. Duval’s came at the 2015 Open in St. Andrews.

Duval hasn’t played regularly since 2014, with his last victory coming at the 2001 Open Championship, so naturally all eyes will be on him as he tests his game with the best over 50. He’s made just two PGA Tour starts over the last two seasons, missing the cut at the 2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and withdrawing from the same event in 2020 after opening with an 84. In his most recent appearance in a major championship – the 2019 Open at Royal Portrush – Duval opened with a disastrous 91 and followed up with a 78 before missing the cut. “I expect to succeed,” said Duval in a recent video posted to Twitter. “I’ve been practicing and playing, working at it. “Getting over some little injury problems that I’ve had the last couple years and that’s all behind me now. But I’m sure there will be some nerves and some anxiety and rust.”

The duo has had a mixed bag in the father-son event as they are scheduled to play together for the fourth time. With finishes of T-14 in 2018, solo fourth in 2019, and T-14 in 2020, the Duvals will hope for a result similar to that of two years ago. While David will draw most of the attention – and rightfully so – his son is hardly a slouch. The 16-year-old has played a few times on the junior circuit in Colorado and is a staple on his golf team at Cherry Creek High School.

Don’t take him, although this might be his best chance at making a cut this year.

At press time, no reason has been furnished for the WD. This is his 17th mid-tourney WD in 436 events, first of the season in his first start. The 48-year-old, in the field as a past winner of the PLAYERS Championship (1999), was 12-over thru 14 holes and 24-over total (opened with 84 at Pebble Beach GL) when he called it quits. Thru 32 holes that Duval played, his conjured just two birdies.

He currently sits in tie for 14th place, but didn’t make worse than a par until his 15th hole, when he double-bogeyed the sixth hole. He finished with four birdies and the double, and it will be interesting to see if he can avoid a meltdown over the final two rounds. He has won the hearts of the crowd at Winged Foot, but hasn’t finished in the top 10 in a PGA event in nearly four years and hadn’t made a cut in a major since the 2002 PGA Championship. He needed just 26 putts in Friday’s round, and had at least nine one-putts on the day.

He’s now in a tie for 32nd place and would probably have to shoot something like a 3-under 67 on Sunday to have a chance at a win. Nonetheless, his fine performance this week could mean he’s back on track to win on the PGA Tour again.

He had played pretty well in the first three rounds but fell apart on Sunday. At least he made the cut.

Jim Carter and Brendan Jones also withdrew and the trio has been replaced by Mike Springer, Robin Freeman and Steve Pate

Duval has yet to cash in five attempts and despite numerous attempts hasn’t seen a weekend at Bay Hill since 2002. Duval doesn’t have enough starts to qualify for official stats, but if he did he would be dead last in GIR. Enough said.